(CNN) - How much of an impact will Mitt Romney's much anticipated choice of a running mate have on the battle for the White House?

According to a CBS News/New York Times national poll released Wednesday morning, 26% of registered voters say the choice matters a lot to their vote, with 48% saying it matters somewhat. One in four questioned in the survey say the choice of a vice presidential nominee doesn't matter at all to their vote.
The CBS News/New York Times poll was conducted July 11-16, with 1,089 adults nationwide, including 942 registered voters, questioned by telephone. The survey's overall sampling error is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

soundoff(20 Responses)

Stuffit

It should matter a lot. Of course the most incompetent, inept, corrupt, union toady president in history picked someone as stupid as himself, so lets hope Romney does a lot better. The again that would not be difficult.

July 18, 2012 08:32 am at 8:32 am |

Nanci

ask John McCain if vp pick matters!

July 18, 2012 08:34 am at 8:34 am |

Namejkane fl SEND THE THREE TIME LOSER romney HOME AND MAKE IT FOUR.

It doesn't because the Gop cancer in America bafoon party is going down the toilet in Nov ,thanks romney the clown and have a nice boat ride .

July 18, 2012 08:38 am at 8:38 am |

Joe from CT, not Lieberman

Veeps are picked for a number of reasons. In the old days of the back room, the Veep was often shoved on the candidate as the cost for the nomination. Veeps have also been picked for "geographic balance", even though that has been shown to not really help a ticket. Veeps are often selected for their support of the policies and platform of the candidate. Sometimes Veeps are selected to cater to an ideological group. Often the latter can do more harm than good. Look at Joe Lieberman to Al Gore. Lieberman undermined the status of President Clinton during the Lewinski fiasco, showing he was not a team player; and when he had the opportunity to grab Dick Cheney by the jugular during the VP Debate, he did not, resulting in him looking totally unprepared for the job. Four years later, John Edwards campaigned as the Sour Grapes candidate, and didn't come to the aid of John Kerry during the Swift Boat incident. Then we have Sarah. If any Presidential Candidate ever made a worse choice for Veep then I am hard-pressed to find one. Even Spiro Agnew helped Dick Nixon's candidacy more than Sarah ever did for John McCain.
Now that the Republicans are stuck with what is basically a third-tier Presidential Candidate (again, picking the guy who the party bosses feel it is time for instead of the guy who could actually accomplish something), they will be stuck with a fourth-tier VEEP, because no 1st, 2nd or 3rd tier Republican wants to be branded as part of a losing ticket.

July 18, 2012 08:51 am at 8:51 am |

Milton K. Wiah

Unless he wants to divert the attention on his tax release, he will pick some VP for that matter thinking it matters
so much to many people.

July 18, 2012 08:53 am at 8:53 am |

Strategic Bob

If both nominees for the lead spot on the respective tickets were acceptable, then the VP pick might matter. But when your nominee for the big job is as manifestly unfit as is Mitt Romney, then the VP pick does not matter. Of course, none of the other GOP Presidential wanna-bes this time around was fit to be President, so it is really a moot point. Obama is qualified and would be a far more effective President if the traitorous Rethuglicans in Congress were not obstructing everything in order to improve their chances to recapture the White House by cratering the country.

July 18, 2012 08:57 am at 8:57 am |

23 from Texas

and yet another useless poll from CNN. Give a poll of likely voters! Registered voters mean nothing! (and a useful subject would be nice as well).

July 18, 2012 09:03 am at 9:03 am |

Rudy NYC

In 2008, it mattered 100%.

July 18, 2012 09:03 am at 9:03 am |

SafeJourney

Really, asking that question. How much does the VP choice matter? JHC, Does anyone realize that if the President is not able to do his job, The VP take over?

July 18, 2012 09:16 am at 9:16 am |

Mgc tampa

Why would you vote for the vice president if you don't like the presidental candidate??? Answer, you would not vote for the ticket just because of who the vp is unless you are an idiot.

July 18, 2012 09:24 am at 9:24 am |

2020

RomneyTitanic is sinking;

add VP, it sinks FASTER.

July 18, 2012 09:27 am at 9:27 am |

Squigman

Not one iota. Wouldn't vote for this rat, regardless.

July 18, 2012 09:27 am at 9:27 am |

Dominican mama 4 Obama

Who cares?
What's this another " We don't want to discuss really important issues like the new Voting Laws" distracting story CNN?
They are trying to BUY the presidency. THAT'S important. Let's talk about that. Let's talk about voter disenfranchisement.
Obama 2012. Because our country is NOT for sale.

July 18, 2012 09:29 am at 9:29 am |

SEAL Team Alpha and Omega

In Willard Etch-a-Sketh's case it won't matter at all because everything he says and does is a lie and a smoke screen to hide the truth about how little he paid in taxes and how many jobs Mr. Bain Romney outsourced to China.

The poll is accurate. (as small as it was.) It is a photo finish, and a wrong move can make the difference. (like romney not responding to an attack ad, or a rm pick.)

July 18, 2012 09:33 am at 9:33 am |

Leeford

VP pick matters a lot. You either pick someone that is cappable of running the country that the voters are comfortable with. Or you pick a hocky mom with the intellectual prowess of a turnip that costs you the election.

July 18, 2012 09:38 am at 9:38 am |

S.B. Stein E.B. NJ

Not much really... It could add to what I like about a candidate or be a detractor. McCain's choice of Palin sealed it for me; not voting for him because he couldn't bother to look at other smarter women out there like Hutchinson from Texas.

July 18, 2012 09:48 am at 9:48 am |

v_mag

With the negatives Rob-money has, he'd better hope the VP pick makes a difference to a lot of people.

In Willard's case, not one little bit. The Party of "NO!" will not compromise, has no candidate, no platform, no new ideas, no policies and no chance in Nov. So the VP running mate is irrelevant to most of us. It's merely a GOP attempt to distract the election cycle from Robme not producing his tax returns.